Collection inventory

Summary
Creator:	Lowenstein family.
Title:	Alexander Lowenstein Family Papers
Dates:	1967-2013
Size:	13 linear feet
Abstract:	Materials relating to Alexander Lowenstein, one of the 35 Syracuse University study abroad students killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and materials relating to Suse Lowenstein's sculpture Dark Elegy
Language:	English
Repository:	Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/pan-am-103

Biography

Alexander Lowenstein (1967-1988) was among the 270 victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland on December 21, 1988. He was one of the 35 Syracuse University students traveling home after a semester abroad. Alexander (also known as Alex or Alexi) was an English major, but hoped to pursue a degree in clinical psychology so he could work in a psychiatric clinic after he graduated. Alex was a brother in the Zeta Psi fraternity at Syracuse University and sat on the Inter-fraternity Council.

"Alexander was very special. His ability to fully enjoy life; to make us laugh; to draw his peers to him; to make us love him," his parents recall. Alex was a water person who loved surfing and scuba diving near his parents' home in Montauk on Long Island. He was survived by his parents, Suse and Peter, and his brother, Lucas.

Suse Lowenstein is an accomplished sculptor; her work Dark Elegy has garnered much acclaim and commentary over the years and has served as a reminder of the evils of terrorism. Dark Elegy consists of 75 individual sculptures depicting women at the moment they learned their loved one had been killed on Pan Am Flight 103. Each figure was sculpted from life. Dark Elegy is dedicated to all victims of terrorism.

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Scope and Content Note

The Alexander Lowenstein Family Papers consist of materials related to Alexander Lowenstein, one of the 35 Syracuse University study abroad students killed in the December 21, 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and the commemorative sculptural work Dark Elegy created by his mother, Suse Lowenstein. The collection has been divided into the following series:

The Artwork series contains Alex's artwork and sketches.

Clippings contains full newspapers and clippings relating to Alex's life and memorialization, the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and the subsequent trials, and terrorism generally. Of special interest may be the clippings from the two years before Alex's death and those related to the Camp Zeist trial in the Netherlands.

The Correspondence series contains condolences, general correspondence files, and correspondence with people in Lockerbie. Many of the letters from Lockerbie include photographs as enclosures.

The Dark Elegy series documents the sculpture created by Suse Lowenstein. Clippings, correspondence, photographs and writings related to Dark Elegy are located in this series. It also includes information about exhibitions of Dark Elegy.

Personal belongings consists of items that belonged to or were created by Alex, including items recovered from the crash site at Lockerbie. This series contains Alex's collection of audiocassettes, including original albums and homemade mixtapes, correspondence, and class notebooks, exam books, and papers.

Photographs and negatives contains digitized photographs from an album the Lowenstein family temporarily loaned the Archives, and physical photographs of Alex with his friends and family. Of special interest to researchers may be photographs from his semester studying abroad in 1988, depicting London and trips to Amsterdam, and photographs developed from film found at the crash site.

Subject files contains topical files of general interest, including a copy of Senate Resolution 727 signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Researchers may also be interested in the maps used to plot locations of victims' bodies as well as Pan Am 103 passenger statistics, including a seating chart for the Boeing 747. This series also contains recordings of Alex participating in his hobbies, interests, and extracurriculars. The video recordings include footage of Alex surfing and spending time at the beach with his family, participating in a competition at his high school, and performing in a theater production called "Park Place."

Writings includes poems, articles and tributes to Alex and the victims of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing.

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Alternative Formats

Selected materials from this collection have been digitized. Please contact the archivist for further information on accessing these materials.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Access to audiovisual material requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from the Pan Am Flight 103 Archives and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

The Pan Am Flight 103 Archives contains additional materials and information related to the Alexander Lowenstein Family Papers. Related collections include:

Pan Am Flight 103 Audiovisual Collection

On Eagles' Wings Collection

Matthew Cox Papers

Pan Am 103 Publications Collection

Pamela Ray Papers

Dark Elegy Collection

Pan Am 103 Individuals Collection

London 1988 Image Collection

Remembrance Quilt Collection

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Selected Search Terms

Names

Associated Titles

Subjects

Types of material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Alexander Lowenstein Family Papers,
Pan Am Flight 103/Lockerbie Air Disaster Archives
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Peter and Suse Lowenstein in 2009 and 2014.

Processing Information

Materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: Cara A. Howe
Date: 2014
Revision history: Mar 2015 - Stylistic changes (VSOM); Apr 2015 - Access restrictions removed (VSOM); Jun 2016 - New accessions integrated (VSOM); Feb 2018 - Stylistic changes (VSOM); April 2023 - Oversize items reboxed and inventory updated (HVA); July 2024 - Media processed, inventory reorganized and updated (VSOM)

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Arrangement

The Alexander Lowenstein Family Papers are arranged alphabetically by series.

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Location of Originals

Photographs from the album scanned while on loan from the Lowenstein family have been retained by the donor.

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Inventory

	Artwork
Oversize 1		Sketches by Alexander Lowenstein undated

	Clippings
Box 2		From Germany circa 1988-1989
			German
Box 2		Frontline: the bombing of Pan Am 103 1990
Box 2		Frontline: tracking the Pan Am 103 bombers 1989
Box 2		General April 1986- October 2005, undated (4 folders)
Oversize 2		General 1988-2005
Box 2		Trial, Camp Van Zeist, Netherlands 2000-2001

	Correspondence
Box 3		Baumeister & Samuels 1991
Box 3		Beth [girlfriend] undated
		Condolences
Box 3			General circa 1988-1989 (4 folders)
Box 4			General circa 1988-1989 (5 folders)
Box 4			Remarks of Joan Barletta on the occassion of the memorial service for Alex Lowenstein 30 December 1988
Box 4			Lowenstein thank you card circa 1988-1989
Box 5		Consulate General of the United States, Edinburgh, Scotland 1990
Box 5		Cranston High School West theatre program, Cranston, Rhode Island 2 March 2013
Box 5		DeSantis, Mary Allen 1990
Box 5		Ennist, Lauren 1995
Box 5		Fortune, Deirdre circa 1991
Box 5		Government officials 1990, 1996, 2001
Box 5		Heller, Bruce undated
Box 5		Imatron undated
		Lockerbie
Box 5			Bogie, Donald undated
Box 5			Keegans, Father Patrick 1989, 1996
Box 5			Murray, Stuart undated
Box 5			Stobbs, George and Rita undated
Box 5			Thomson, Henry and Margaret 1991
Box 5			Webster, Jack 2000
Box 5			Wilson, June and Jim 1989-2002
Box 5		McKendric, Gigi 1990
Box 5		Media 1999-2001
Box 5		The Permanent Mission of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to the United Nations 1997
Box 5		Syracuse University 1989
Box 5		Weiss, Fredda 1997
Box 5		White House 1995
Box 5		Wilkenfeld, Adam 1998

	Dark Elegy
Box 6		A broken heart still beats after your child dies, by Anne McCracken and Mary Semel, cover art undated
Box 6		Campaign for permanent home in Washington, DC 2007
Box 6		Clippings 1991-2001, undated
Oversize 2		Clippings circa 1992-1996 oversize
Box 6		Correspondence circa 1989-1994 (3 folders)
		Exhibitions
Box 6			Douglass College 1997
Oversize 1			Douglass College 1997
Box 6			Others 1991, 1993-1994, 1997
Box 6			Rutgers University 1996
Oversize 1		Photographs circa 1996
Box 6		Photographs and slides undated  Dark Elegy at Syracuse University
Box 6		Printed materials 1997
Oversize 1		Sketches by Lauren Ennist undated
Box 6		Student comments on Dark Elegy film undated
Box 1		Suse Lowenstein: "Body Concious" sculpture show undated (VHS; running time 120:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_002)
Box 1		Suse Lowenstein and Dark Elegy 8 November 1991 (VHS; running time 120:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_003)
Box 6		"The Women of Lockerbie," by Deborah Brevoort, program art 2008
Box 6		Writings about Dark Elegy 1996, undated
Box 6		Writings by Suse Lowenstein undated  Alexander Lowenstein by Suse Lowenstein  Dark Elegy by Suse Lowenstein  Letter to the editor from Suse Lowenstein  Artist's statement by Suse Lowenstein

	Personal belongings
		Albums and mixtapes
Box 1			Bruce [Springsteen] and Byron [Bryan] Adams 19 September, 1978 (Audio cassette; running time 90:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_012)
				Recording contains: Point blank; Backstreets; Rosalita; Sandy; Born to run; Tenth Avenue freeze-out.
Box 1			Bryan Adams: Cuts like a knife - commercial album (Audio cassette; running time 38:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_015)
				Recording contains: Side 1: The only one; Take me back; This time; Straight from the heart; Cuts like a knife; Side 2: I'm ready; What's it gonna be; Don't leave me lonely; Let him know; The best was yet to come.
Box 1			[Compilation tape 1] undated (Audio cassette; running time 60:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_010)
				Recording contains: Side A: Graceland [album by Paul Simon]: Boy in a Bubble; Graceland; I know what I know; Gumboots; Diamonds on the soles of her shoes; Under African skies; Crazy love, Vol. II; That was your mother; All around the world; Side B: mixed: Me and Julio...; Kodachrome; Mother and child reading.
Box 1			[Compilation tape 2] undated (Audio cassette; running time 90:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_011)
				Recording contains: Side A: Worst of Jefferson Airplane; Seatrain; Side B: Joan Baez: One day at a time; Tom Paxton: Morning again.
Box 1			[Compilation tape 3] Ziggy Marley: Consious party; Midnight Oil: Diesel and dust June 1988 (Audio cassette; running time 90:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_014)
				Recording contains: Side A: Conscious part; Lee and Molly; Tomorrow people; New love; Tumblin' down; We a guh some weh; A who a say; Have you ever been to hell; We propose; What's true; Dreams of home; Side B: Diesel and dust: Beds are burning; Put down that weapon; Dream world; Warakurna; The dead heart; Whoah; Bullroarer; Sell my soul; Sometimes.
Box 1			CripZen: A manual for survival, Lorenzo W. Milam, side 4 - incomplete set (Audio cassette; running time 60:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_020)
Box 1			The Cult: Love - commercial album (Audio cassette; running time 38:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_016)
				Track list: Nirvana; The big neon glitter; Love; Brother Wolf; Sister Moon; Rain; The Phoenix; The Hollow Man; Revolution; She sells sanctuary; Black Angel.
Box 1			The Cure: Standing on a beach; The singles (And unavailable B-sides) - commercial album (Audio cassette; running time 86:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_017)
				Track list: Side A: Killing an Arab; Boy's don't cry; Jumping someone else's train; A forest; Primary; Charlotte sometimes; The Hanging Garden; Let's go to bed; The walk; The lovecats; The caterpillar; In between days; Close to me; Side B: I'm cold; Another journey by train; Descent; Splintered in her head; Mr. Pink Eyes; Happy the man; Throw your foot; The exploding boy; A few hours after this; A man inside my mouth; Stop dead; New day.
Box 1			Elton John: Greatest Hits - commercial album (Audio cassette; running time 86:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_018)
				Track list: Side A: Rocket man; Daniel; Honky cat; Goodbye yellow brick road; Saturday night's alright for fighting; Side B: Your song; Bennie and the Jets;Don't Let The sun go down on me; Border song; Crocodile rock.
Box 1			Stand by me (Original motion picture soundtrack) - commercial album (Audio cassette; running time 15:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_019)
				Track list: Everyday, Buddy Holly; Let the good times roll, Shirley And Lee; Come go with me, Whispering Bells, The Dell-Vikings; Get a job, The Silhouettes; Lollipop, The Chordettes; Yakety yak, The Coasters; Great balls of fire, Jerry Lee Lewis; Mr. Lee, The Bobbettes; Stand by me, Ben E. King.
Box 1			Tom Waits: Swordfishtrombone undated (Audio cassette; running time 90:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_013)
Box 7		Birth certificate 1967
Box 7		Certifications 1975-1982
Box 7		Class schedules 1987
		Correspondence
Box 8			General 1980-1985 (5 folders)
Box 9			General 1985-1988 (4 folders)
Box 10			General undated (3 folders)
Box 7		Diploma, high school 1985
Box 7		Diploma, middle school 1981
Box 7		Essays and papers 1987-1988, undated
Box 7		Exam booklets 1987-1988
		Found in wreckage
Box 11			Audiocassette pouch undated
Box 12			Journal pages 1988
Box 12			Personal papers 1988, undated  Tower of London postcard  British Rail pass
Box 12			Photographs 1988  Stonehenge
Box 11			Radio and cassette player undated
Box 11			Sweater undated
Box 11			Underwater camera undated
Box 11			Wallet undated
Box 7		Inter-fraternity council notes 1987-1988
Box 7		Letter of recommendation for Alex Lowenstein 10 December 1984
Box 7		Mendham Township Middle School 1979-1981
		Notebooks
Box 13			English 227 undated
Box 13			English 342 1987
Box 13			English 361 1987
Box 13			English 533 1988
Box 13			Geology 102 1988
Box 13			German 201/202 1986
Box 13			Philosophy 212 1986
Box 13			Philosophy 216 undated
Box 14			Philosophy 321 1987
Box 14			Psychology 305 undated
Box 14			Religion 255 1986
Box 14			Religion 291 undated
Box 14			Religion 358 undated
Box 14			Sociology 388 1988
Box 14			Writing 315 undated
Box 15		Personal documents 1988, undated
Box 15		Planner 1983
Box 15		Planner August 1987-August 1988
Box 15		Poetry undated
Box 15		Report cards and grade reports 1979-1988
Box 16		Riding helmet undated
Box 16		Scottish flag undated
Box 16		Surfing figures "Alex" and "Beth" undated
Box 16		Tie clips with letter "A" undated
Box 16		Wallet undated
Box 15		West Morris Mendham High School 1985
Box 15		Zeta Psi Fraternity circa 1986-1989
Box 16		Zeta Psi beer stein 1989
Box 16		Zeta Psi flag undated
Box 16		Zeta Psi sticker undated

	Photographs and negatives
Box 17		Album loaned by Suse and Peter Lowenstein circa 1988  Alex in yellow t-shirt  Alex at Stonehenge  Alex in hoodie  Alex in Jimmy Buffet t-shirt  Alex in straw hat  Alex giving flower to friend  Alex, Rick Monetti and two friends  Alex and Beth with friends (including Rick Monetti) at Stonehenge  Alex and Beth with friends (including Rick Monetti)  Alex and Beth with friends  Alex and Beth with friends (including Rick Monetti) in field  Alex and Beth with friends on a stone wall  Alex and friends at Slough airport  Alex and Rick Monetti with friends  Alex and friends with gargoyles  Alex and Rick Monetti in hunter hats  Alex, Rick Monetti, Alexia Tsairis, Julianne Kelly and friends  Lowenstein Family  Alexander Lowenstein's headstone  Alexander Lowenstein's memorial plaque on the Memorial Wall in Lockerbie  Alexander Lowenstein on a rock wall  Alex in "Alexi" shirt  Alex in straw hat holding a cat  Alex Lowenstein portrait in red tie  Alex with surf board  Alex in Zeta Psi sweatshirt  Alex standing by the water with arms raised  Alex in wetsuit  Suse Lowenstein with Alex's cairn in Lockerbie, Scotland  Alex's cairn in Lockerbie, Scotland  Flowers and stone circle  Alex Lowenstein in field
Box 17		Alexander Lowenstein summer 1985
Box 17		Alexander Lowenstein and family undated
Box 17		Alexander Lowenstein and friends circa 1985-1987, undated
Box 17		Alexander Lowenstein and Beth [girlfriend] 1987, undated
Box 17		Developed from film found in wreckage circa 1988
Box 17		London and Amsterdam 1988
Box 17		Memorials undated  Headstone in East Hampton  Cairn in Lockerbie, Scotland
Box 17		Negatives and contact sheets undated
Box 17		Sports teams undated
Oversize 1		Zeta Psi Fraternity 1986-1987, undated

	Subject files
Box 18		Alexander Lowenstein grave plot at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in East Hampton, New York 1989
Box 18		Anis, Magdy and Fady [attorneys] disciplinary review board 1991
Box 18		Annual harbor lights gala honoring Suse and Peter Lowenstein 5 August 2006
Box 18		Authorizations to conduct criminal proceedings on behalf of others 1992
Box 18		AVSEC international conference 26 October 1993
Box 18		Barringer Instruments, Inc. circa 1991
Box 18		Body identification December 1988  Body Number 167, Alexander Lowenstein (not graphic)
Box 18		CDI's Security Service Bureau (SSB) 1991
Box 18		Certificate of achievement from Syracuse University College of Arts and Sciences circa 1989  Certificate of Achievement from College of Arts and Sciences
Box 18		Congressional Record: Senate Resolution 727 signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton 9 December 2008  Senate Resolution 727 signed by Hillary Rodham Clinton
Box 18		Contraband Detection International 9 April 1991
Box 18		Donahue syndication list 1 November 1989
Box 1		Dub of Alexander Lowenstein surfing undated - Allexi getting into surfing suit and paddling out (VHS; running time 10:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_005)
Box 18		Eulogies 30 December 1988
Box 18		Estate of Alexander Lowenstein 1991
Box 18		Federal Aviation Administration security bulletin process undated
Box 1		Joan Rivers/ Suse; Sara Lee Kessler/ Peter 12 December, 1989; 16 May, 1990 - Joan Rivers and a Talkshow (VHS; running time 120:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_001)
Box 1		Lifetime TV: Perspectives on Lifetime with Suse Lowenstein undated (VHS; running time 30:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_004)
Box 1		Livingston speech and Donald Reynolds speech undated (Mini-cassette; running time 60:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_009)
Box 1		Lowenstein family and friends at beach undated - Alexander surfing (VHS; running time 60:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_007)
Box 18		Maps, locations of bodies undated
Oversize 1		Map, locations of bodies undated  Map of Locations of Bodies
Box 18		Memorials 1990
Box 1		Mr. Mendham competition [Alexander Lowenstein was a competitor] undated (VHS; running time 120:00) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_006)
Box 18		Pan Am 103 passenger statistics compiled by Barry J. Flick undated - includes seat assignments  Pan Am 103 passenger statistics
Box 18		Obituaries December 1988
Box 1		Park Place [featuring Alexander Lowenstein] undated (VHS) (ID#: pa103_lowenstein_a_008)
Box 18		Return of personal property 1989-1990
Box 12		Rubbing from Memorial Wall in Lockerbie, Scotland undated
Box 18		Syracuse University College of Arts and Sciences convocation program 5 May 1990
Box 18		Trial at Camp van Zeist, Netherlands, verdict 31 January 2001
Box 18		United States Mission to the United Nations 1992-1993
Box 18		Warsaw Convention and liability undated

	Writings
Box 15		Article by Suse and Peter Lowenstein undated
Box 15		Poem by JJC 15 July 1989
Box 15		Poetry by Stuart Murray 1989, undated
Box 15		"Evolution of Lockerbie," by Jeff Drown 1990
Box 15		Script for "Fellow Travelers," GELB undated
Box 15		Script for "Victims of Pan Am Flight 103," by Robert Crais for NBC 12 November 1993

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